With it's restrictions, it appears to violate the First Amendment to the Constitution. I'm no lawyer, but how in the hell can someone on the city council ban "impertinent speech"? Or any of the OTHERS for that matter. "vulgar"? "racist"? "inciting violence"? Come ON! To me, it simply shows how stupid the council is. They're goin' where no city council has gone before! I mean, WHY would they add these restrictions? And will they have Corky ready to pounce and arrest anyone for being "impertinent"??? If I was the city attorney, I'd take the mayor aside and advise her to NO WAY IN HELL have someone arrested for being "impertinent"! Too little, too late, too stupid, too unconstitutional! Pretty much says it all.

For those of you keeping track at home that means: no vulgar, profane or impertinent speech AND no racist, discriminatory and incitingly violent speech AND under no circumstances may you refer to the Mayor as a "big girl".

It's a credit to the Cascade County commissioners that they have not engaged in this feckless assault on the First Amendment, and I do DOUBT the legal process of this 'resolution' as opposed to an ordinance, which demands a public hearing, two-three readings and a final vote.

They are scared to death of the reaction they received when their cop assaulted Susan Overfield. (And yes, it WAS assault on her. He didn't identify himself in any way. Also, they DIDN'T arrest her, no reading of rights, no booking, just two misdemeanor tickets.)

This is a scared group trying to look tough and trying to put fear into anyone who might consider speaking on subjects the mayor and her group don't want discussed.

Legal? I don't believe it. This is content restriction.

5 minutes? C'mon. We don't have so many people showing up to meetings as to warrant a time restriction.

Use your 5 minutes wisely - that's all the time it will take to vote them out.

Ya know, I've been thinkin'. Since they want to run it like a kindergarten, why don't they just give DETENTION to evil doers?! Look, politics ain't beanbag. They need to get real. I'm not saying that you draw the line at fisticuffs, but for God's sake allow some debate!

"That woman" (sexist, but that's allowed) who heads an all white (oops! racist) City Commission has the gall (impertinence) to expect us, the taxpayers (how vulgar of me mention us) to pay for the things she wants to do in this city, but to shut the h**l up (sorry, profane) when it comes to having an opinion (insolent attitude)

But, hey, it was under 5 minutes - do you think I could get it read before they drag me away?

Maybe we should ask our venerable governing body why an alleged religious group is allowed be so disrespectful as to protest all day at the funeral of some young soldier who was unnecessarily killed in Iraq, and a citizen with a written outlined agenda cannot speak at a public meeting without being physically "escorted" out if she talks more than three minutes. Now to be five minutes.

The problem is this city commission will not hear or allow any facts presented by the citizens to change their minds.

It does not matter if 3 minutes or 60 minutes. The rubber stamp will fall and the predetermined motions will pass.

They limit time because this petty niggling by the citizens is white noise to them.

Dona Stebbins and the speech police monitoring this blog, just so you know this is not racist or vulgar speech. "Niggle;" To be preoccupied with trifles or petty details. "White noise;" a noise produced by a stimulus containing all of the audible frequencies of vibration; "white noise is a good masking agent"